Bengaluru, March 19: In a big move, Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Monday agreed to grant a separate religion status to Lingayat community.

“Based on the recommendations of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, the state cabinet has unanimously decided to grant the status of a religious minority to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of 12th-century social reformer Basava’s ideologies),” state Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra told media after the cabinet meeting.

The state cabinet has also decided to forward the commission’s recommendations to the Centre for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act, he said.

“The minority status has been granted on the Commission’s view that a proper recognition is to be given to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, on condition that the recognition would not affect the rights of other minorities in the state,” Jayachandra asserted.

The Lingayat section, which believes in worshipping Shiva as the universal god, say they were founded by the 12th -century social reformer, Basavanna.

New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Monday admitted the petition filed by Hemraj’s wife Khumkala Banjade challenging the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the double murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic helper Hemraj.

In December last year, Khumkala moved the apex court against the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar by the Allahabad High Court.

Besides this, today the top court also accepted the plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Earlier this month, CBI had approached the Supreme Court challenging Talwars’ acquittal in the killing of Arushi and Hemraj.

The Talwar couple, who were accused in the murder, walked free from the Dasna jail after the Allahabad High Court acquitted them of charges of their daughter’s murder, setting aside the CBI court’s earlier order in October 2017.

Talwar’s teen daughter Aarushi Talwar was found dead inside her room with her throat slit at Noida’s Jalvayu Vihar in May 2008.

Nearly two days later, the deceased body of their domestic helper was recovered from the terrace of the house.